Deaths rise as seatbelt message fails to click

A dramatic increase in the number of people killed while not wearing a seatbelt is forcing authorities to ask whether safety messages are failing to click with the public. In less than five years, the number of vehicle deaths involving people not wearing seatbelts has risen by 75 per cent. Last year more than 40 per cent of those killed on the roads were not buckled up.

The alarming figures have sparked a multiagency research programme, and Dylan Thomson from the Automobile Association said it was hoped new trends would emerge from the study.

‘‘It will look in much more detail at who those people are: how old they are, what vehicle they are driving, what time it was, and what sort of trip it was.

‘‘If we could get every single driver and passenger to make it click every single time they drove, our road toll would drop overnight.’’

It’s a message that hits home with Beverly De Blecourt, of Dunedin. Two of her children died in a crash in which neither was wearing a seatbelt.

Danielle and Shannon Kiriau, of Mosgiel, were killed in 2014 when Cameron Presland crashed an unregistered and unwarranted vehicle as he drove the group to a party.

‘‘I keep saying if they had seatbelts, they would still be here today,’’ De Blecourt said yesterday.

Her message was: ‘‘Always wear your seatbelt. I won’t start the car now unless everyone in it is buckled up.

‘‘Three years on, we still find it hard to believe they have gone. It has had such a lasting impact on the family and friends, and could have been avoided just by putting on a seatbelt.’’

Road safety campaigner Clive Matthew-Wilson said the number of deaths of people not wearing seatbelts was ‘‘just insane’’.

‘‘Rather than fining drivers, which doesn’t work with the highest-risk offenders, the police should first issue several warnings to people not wearing seatbelts. After several warnings, they should have the power to temporarily impound vehicles where seatbelts are not in use. This would modify behaviour very quickly, I think.’’

Associate Transport Minister Tim Macindoe said the research – involving the AA, police, ACC, and the New Zealand Transport Agency – was likely to inform what future work might be appropriate to encourage people to belt up.

‘‘I can give an assurance that the Government is continually working on making our roads safer, on ensuring the vehicles entering New Zealand have appropriate safety measures like airbags and electronic stability control, and on funding education

and advertising campaigns promoting safe behaviour.’’

Road policing national manager Superintendent Steve Greally said police ‘‘won’t feel guilty about enforcing the law’’.

‘‘I’ve heard reports where young men will click the seatbelt behind them rather than wear it, to stop the alarm sounding.

‘‘Any police officer will tell you the worst part of their job is knocking on someone’s door to tell them a family member has died in a car accident.

‘‘People in this country, and all around the world, know what happens when you crash going at great speeds, so there is no rhyme or reason for it.’’

A recent nationwide survey found 97 per cent of people in front seats buckled up, and 92 per cent in the back seat.

While that would suggest only small numbers were unrestrained, it could add up to a lot of risk, ‘‘considering the billions of kilometres Kiwi motorists drive every year’’, Labour transport spokesman Michael Wood said.

‘‘Clearly, we are doing something wrong. In Queensland, which has a higher population and road area, only 18 road fatalities occurred last year when the victim was not wearing a belt.

‘‘We are concerned that, under National, the squeeze on public services is resulting in some road safety policing being pulled back.’’

According to AA figures, all three Australian states with a higher population than ours had less than half the unrestrained deaths that New Zealand did in 2016.